American cinematographer (Jan-Dec 1960)

ARRIFLEX 16 NEW AND USED CLAPSTICK Large professional size for sound productions. Contains space for all essential information. Originally sold for $11.75. Now only $4.75 16mm and 35mm cameras in stock for im¬ mediate delivery. Arriflex 16mm and 35mm soundproof blimps available. 400' magazines. Synchronous motors. CAMART BABY DOLLY Only a four-wheel dolly will provide the bal¬ ance and stability required for professional motion picture production. Adjustable seat for cameraman. Platform accommodates assistant. Portable. $425.00 Dolly tracks available. PROD. NO. TAKE DATE CAMART SLATE & NEW BOOK REPORTS Theory Of Film, by Siegfried Kracauer. Oxford University Press, 417 5th Ave., New York 16, N. Y. $10.00. In this 364-page book which bears the subtitle, “The redemption of physi¬ cal reality,” author Kracauer covers just about every aspect of black-andwhite film. He discusses its back¬ ground in still photography, the prob¬ lems inherent in historical and fan¬ tasy motion picture films, the novel as a cinematic form, experimental films, documentaries, the role of the actor, the use of dialogue and sound, the contribution of music, and the part played by the spectator. As the author states in the Preface. “It would be fair to advise the reader at the outset that this book does not include all the things he may he look¬ ing for. It neglects the animated car¬ toon and avoids broaching problems of color.” Paul Rotba considers Theory of Film “. . . The most important work in the English language on the theory and aesthetics of the Film. It will make a deep impact in all places where the Cinema is regarded as an art.” The Film Daily Year Book of Motion Pictures for 1960. Chester B. Rahn, Editor. Published by The Film Daily, 1501 Broadway, Neiv York 36, N. Y. $15.00. The fact 25 pages of this book are devoted to its editorial content alone indicates something of the tremendous scope and content of this annual pub¬ lication which has been published annually since 1917. Obviously, it is impossible to set down here a full description of its contents. The Film Daily Yearbook will be found on the desks of every important person in the film industry, the ex¬ hibitor field, and in the realm of publishing where quick reference to a source of authentic information con¬ cerning film titles, players, technical credits, industry personnel, and other such facts are required. Subscribers to Film Daily receive one copy of the year book gratis as part of their subscription to the daily publication. Control Techniques In Film Process¬ ing, published by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, 55 West 42nd St., Neiv York 36, N. F. $5.00, The publication of “Control Tech¬ niques” marks the culmination of two years of effort by a special subcom¬ mittee of the SMPTE’s Laboratory Practice Committee. The authoritative information contained in the book, assembled for the first time in one volume, should serve as a guide to improved film processing in the in¬ dustry. The 181-page illustrated book is designed for persons engaged in film processing in laboratories serving mo¬ tion picture, television and the many specialized fields such as high-speed and instrumentation photography. The book includes discussions of the general principles of process con¬ trol ; general aspects of motion picture film processing; mechanical evalua¬ tion and control; instruments for photographic control; control strips and sensitometric control of a stand¬ ardized process; the chemistry of film processing; and chemical analysis and control. Each of the ten chapters of the book is written by a recognized specialist in some definite phase of film processing. ABC of Film and TV Working Terms, by Oswald Skilbeck, Hastings House, Publishers, Inc., 151 East 50th St., New York 22, N. Y. $3.95. A dictionary designed to explain the working words used in British film and television studios. Some of the words are more technical than others; some naturally stem from casual slang. Whatever their original, the reader is offered compact and colloquial ex¬ planations of what is meant by them. Thus it is an easy guide to understand¬ ing what another man in the studio says and to make the reader properly understood by him. The compiler of this book is the managing director of a London film production company, whose working experience extends to many studios abroad. Tbe terminology is essentially British — although it is obvious enough how many terms are of transatlantic origin. Yet the American film worker is likely to find, somewhat to his surprise, that words which strike him as having a homely flavor have ac¬ quired new meaning in British studios. Author Skilbeck originally collected these words and added explanations to them for the benefit of his own appren¬ tices, later enlarged its scope. ■ 588 AMERICAN CINEMATOGRAPHER